Insider Info on "Mothers of the Movement"

I met Maya Angelou once at a Sweet Honey in the Rock concert at Zellerbach in Berkeley, and when she stood up to shake my hand---wow, she was tall--a giant in life for me. Having read Maya Angelou's series of autobiographies, starting with "I know why the caged bird sings" I was inspired to see this woman doing so many things with her life---a dancer, a singer, a writer, an ambassadorr,a poet an...d a sage. Maybe I could do all those things too, (doesn't this dance company allow me to do many of those things?) and not just let ballet and dance be all that defines me. "Phenomenal Woman" was one of her defining works, and is one of ours, too, and each woman puts her stamp on it by speaking the poetry aloud, while dancing---no easy feat---with a finale featuring a rap that makes a statement with Sweet Honey in the Rock.

Harriet Tubman and Sojourner represent pivotal roles black woman took...to provide a way out, and be a voice speaking up for all women... each overcame obstacles and weren't afraid to challenge the injustice and do something tangible about it too---both which took tremendous courage. Harriet's journey made all the more amazing, in that she had sleeping sickness that would overtake her at any time, as she traversed the underground railroad with her passengers in tow. Sojourner Truth standing alongside suffragettes and an impressive communicator. Rosa Parks” quiet dignity is dealt with in a very (Liz Lerman-ish) gestural way in its conception with an interview playing that was recorded around the time of her death, that tells the story 3rd person with a conversational perspective. ( I am reading Liz Lerman's Hiking the Horizontal right now). That work is called Seated for Justice and juxtaposes images of that time and moment in history (as assembled by my partner in life)behind the dancer of Rosa.

Am also bringing back Yolanda Gibbs to recreate her roles in so many of these works-- surely a mother of many of these movements in her own right!

Nina Simone, will be two totally different male female interactions, one fluffy and light, the other brutal (that we did at CAM last year). Her voice comprises so much pain and humor, doesn't it? As does Roberta Flack, whose music inspired my first piece of choreography in 8th grade. I'm sure those nuns didn't know what to make of "Jesse"--nor did i know what that song was about too much then---but when that was the first song that made me cry, and I just had to dance to it!
And the Lucille Clifton poems about Mary, Mother of Jesus, are combined to create a lovely series of tableau to a haunting piece of music by Keith Jarrett....one of the more sublime inspirations that I often bring out. Now, the nuns would be really touched by that one...